John Cornyn ‘confident’ about GOP Senate prospects, says support for Todd Akin a ‘business decision’

The Pundit Elite has already decided: Democrats are going to retain control of the U.S. Senate. The statistician-in-chief, FiveThirtyEight blogger Nate Silver, calculates the likelihood of a Democratic majority at exactly80.2 percent.

But Texas Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the Senate Republicans’ campaign committee, is not concerned about his party’s chances.

At least that’s what the National Republican Senatorial Committee chair wrote in an Op-Ed he penned for POLITICO.

“[W]hile it might feel like the beginning of the end for those of us engaged in political campaigns, for many voters across the country, this is where they finally start thinking about whom they will vote for,” he wrote. “That is why I am confident about our Republican prospects for this November.”

Sen. John Cornyn is not closing the door to aiding Todd Akin in Missouri. (Official photo)

Cornyn pointed out issues such as high unemployment, a swollen national debt and increases in college tuition, health insurance and gas prices as evidence of poor economic management by the Obama administration that will galvanize Republican voters.

The GOP needs to pick up four seats to have a majority in the Senate — or three if Mitt Romney is elected president, in which case Paul Ryan would act as the tie breaker.

Real Clear Politics lists nine Senate races as “toss-ups,” including four — Arizona, Indiana, Massachusetts and Nevada — that are now held by Republicans. Olympia Snowe, a moderate Republican from Maine chose not to seek re-election and Real Clear Politics has Angus King, an Independent, as the favorite to replace her.

According to predictions from Real Clear Politics, Republicans need to win seven out of the nine toss-up races to reach 50 members or eight out of nine for an outright majority.

Cornyn accused Obama and congressional Democrats of putting “government first, people second,” and forcing through costly legislation, such as the Affordable Care Act — also known as “Obamacare” — at the expense of tax payers.

“Republicans continue to gain traction in our race for the Senate majority because we have a plan to solve these issues,” he wrote. “The past four years have demonstrated the contrast between the two parties. Republicans have maintained their belief in a fair and effective free-market system. We have worked tirelessly to put a structure in place that fosters growth in the present as well as the future.”

Cornyn joined the group of Republicans that urged the six-term congressman to drop out of his race for Missouri Senator against incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill after Akin made statements about “legitimate rape.”

Before Akin’s statement, McCaskill’s seat seemed almost guaranteed to turn red and was a crucial part of the GOP’s strategy for taking the Senate.

Todd Akin (Official photo)

Akin has remained in the race past the deadline to withdraw his name and though Real Clear Politics has McCaskill as the favorite, he remains close in the polls. If the NRSC begins funneling money into Missouri, Akin would have a chance at victory.

Cornyn is not the only Republican candidate to jump back on the Akin bandwagon, former presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum endorsed him last week.

Texas’ own former presidential candidate, Gov. Rick Perry, joined in on the fun, too.

Cornyn said the question of whether to go back on his previous statement or go for a victory in Missouri is ultimately a “business decision.”

“I just think any money we would have to spend there (in Missouri) would be money we would have to pull away from other close races around the country which I think have a greater probability of electing a Republican senator,” he said.

The Texas senator is under pressure from party conservatives to go all-out for Akin.

Disowning Akin was “a huge mistake on John Cornyn’s part,” former Texas Republican Party chairman Tom Pauken posted on Facebook. “Todd Akin has an excellent chance to win the Senate seat in Missouri. He deserves support from the Republican Senatorial Committee in a year in which we are trying to take back the Senate. The latest polls indicate this is a close race.